Oneonta church, Hispanic congregation sell tamales to raise funds for Alaska

When First Baptist Church Oneonta was brainstorming some ways to raise money for an upcoming missions trip to Alaska, Jesus Navarro had an idea that involved a lot of cooks in the kitchen.

“He brought up the idea that a good fundraiser would be to have a tamale sale,” said Larry Gipson, pastor of FBC Oneonta.

Navarro, who serves as Hispanic church planter for Friendship Baptist Association, also serves as pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista Amistad, which meets in FBC’s building. Navarro and his daughter, Laura, will be joining 23 FBC members on the trip to Alaska this summer.

“We will be on the outskirts of Anchorage, and we will do some construction and evangelism, a combination of projects,” Gipson said.

It’s the church’s first trip to Alaska, and it was their first time to make tamales, too. The members of Primera Iglesia Bautista Amistad taught the FBC members how to make them, and together they all worked in the church kitchen to make 1,500 beef and pork tamales.

“What an awesome experience to have our Hispanic friends work side by side with us teaching us how to make tamales so that we can carry the gospel to Alaska in June,” FBC Oneonta posted on Facebook on Jan. 28.